Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-06-16
A LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS LIFE.

ns Perilons Duty Of Caring for . Bea-
con Light-A Stormy Night.
The duty Of a keeper of one of these
great beacon lights Is not arduous, but
sometimes it is attended with consider
able danger. Owing to the great height
Of the tower, and the peculiarly exposed
condition, there is always the chance Of
its being destroyed by a fierce hurricane
o wind and rain. During a dark, stormy
night in April, 1854, the Minot's Ledge
lighthouse, near Boston, was thus de-
stroyed by the combined action of wind,
rain and the heavy sea- The lighthouse
was a skeleton iron structure, situated on
q ledge of rock, which at low water is
entirely bare, but at high tide several
feet of water covers it. At an unknown
hour of the night the iron posts snapped
In two and the lighthouse toppled over
into the restless sea.
The keepers house on the iron towers
10 usually situated neal the top of the
lighthouse, just under the great revolv-
ing lamp. A strong platform is con-
structed on the top series Of braces and
N octagonal structure Of wood then
built, perforated on each side by window
holes. This small structure acts as a
storehouse for the oil and other appara-
tns connected with the lighthouse and as
Q living place for the keeper. 1t Is made
a. small as practicable so as TO offer the
least amount Of resistance TO the wind.
The small cupola above this building,
where the great reflector is situated, is
reached by a windir z iron staircase. To
keep the lamp in god condition for per-
formingyts proper work requires clean
ing every day. The keeper, in addition
to trimming the wicks and replenishing
the vessel with oil each morning, has to
oil the revolving apparatus and see that
the glass globe and reflector are clean
and clear of smoke. Before darkness
settles over the land the lamp must then
be lighted and the machinery set in
operation.
II it is an exceptionally stormy night
the great Illuminating apparatus must be
constantly watched, lest some accident
should extinguish the light. The glass
globe is, Of course, very thick and
strengthened by heavy brass braces; but
even with this ~precaution many incidents
are known where the glass panels have
been blown in by the force of the wind
and hail. and the light extinguished at
once. The experiences of a keeper on a
dark stormy night are not always agree
able. The wind blowing up from some
rough quarter of the globe, sweeps across
the sea with alarming rapidly, lashing
the water into light foam, and moaning
fitfully about the tall tower. At a height
Of 100 feet from the surface of the sea it
attains q speed equal to that of a small
hurricane. and, when il strikes the glass
globe Of the lighthouse, it whistles in and
out among the iron braces as though IL
would tear them from their sockets. IL
the wind is accompanied by rain and hail
the wildness of the scene is increased.
The glass is thick and strong enough usu-
ally to resist the force Of the frozen drops
Of water: but the noise made by the con-
slant pattering of the descending hail on
It - louder than II it were falling upon
some hard metal or stone. At such a
time it would be a dangerous. risk to
venture out on the platform surround
ing the big light, even though clinging to
the stout iron railing for support. As the
lighthouses are arranged at the present
day, there is no need of the keeper at
tempting such a feat, as the lamp and all
pertaining 10 il can be reached from the
inside.-N. Y. Mail and Express.